Fourth and One Aims for Kentucky Derby Points in Withers Stakes at Aqueduct
The New York-bred colt Fourth and One is poised to compete for valuable Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the $200,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack on January 31st.The 1 1/8-mile race offers a significant chance for sophomores, awarding 20, 10, 6, 4, and 2 points to the top five finishers, respectively.
Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the Maxfield gelding demonstrated marked improvement after removing blinkers to secure his first victory on December 5th in a one-turn mile maiden race for state-breds at Aqueduct. In that race, the dark bay colt engaged in a duel for the lead with Max Money before pulling away to a commanding 7 1/4-length victory, finishing in a time of 1:37.46.
“We’re very much looking forward to the Withers,” stated a representative of the ownership group. “In his last race, Jeremiah took his blinkers off, and he rated very nicely and relaxed on the backside. He finished with great interest and won easily in the end.”
The connections believe the horse has matured considerably. “He’s matured quite a bit in his racing style and that’s what leads us to be optimistic going forward,” they added. “Jeremiah has always felt he would look forward to longer distances and he certainly demonstrated that last time out.”
The strength of fourth and One’s maiden victory was further validated when the runner-up, Royal Riddle, went on to win a state-bred maiden sprint on January 3rd.
Fourth and One continued his readiness with a half-mile breeze in :48.11 seconds on January 17th over the Belmont Park dirt training track, marking his fifth work since his notable maiden score.
“He is athletic, continues to mature and seems to get bigger every time I see him. Physically, he’s a year-old Omaha Beach colt trained by Kenny McPeek, and maintains partnerships with Legion Bloodstock, who have seen success with Drexel hill in the Kentucky Oaks.
Baxter has focused on the New York-bred program, recognizing the potential benefits. “The purse structure of the state-bred program and the stakes races available to Fourth and One going forward are a huge incentive,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed coming to New York for three of his races now and if he goes on to race in stakes races at the new Belmont when it opens, that would be an exciting draw for us, too. We’ve heard nothing but good things about the new facility and Jeremiah, the last time I spoke to him, was very high on it and thinks that people will enjoy going racing there. It’s a state-of-the-art facility.”
The horse’s name was inspired by one of his partners, Danny brown, a football coach at South Christian High School in Michigan, who was recently named Coach of the Year. “When we were discussing him joining the partnership, I let him know you have to consider the money you’re putting in… I wouldn’t want him to have any regrets,” Baxter recalled. “I said to him, ‘Do you ever regret going for it on fourth and one?’ And he said, ‘Never, we always go.'”
Baxter admitted to harboring dreams of a return to the Churchill Downs winner’s circle on Derby Day, emphasizing the Withers Stakes as a crucial test. “Derby fever is a real thing, and this race will be a tremendous yardstick to figure out what type of horse we really have,” he said, noting he has attended all but one of Fourth and One’s races live.
A playful debate remains among the partners regarding Baxter’s attendance at the Withers. “My partners have said, ‘He runs second and third when you’re there and wins when you’re not, so maybe we ought to have you stay home,'” Baxter said with a laugh.
